About Me

Friday, August 7, 2009

The Most Embarrassing Moment Of My Life

Transcribed from Whad'ya Know? Broadcast February 14, 2009 on public radio stations around the country, distributed by Public Radio International.

Michael Feldman (host): Jim Packard?

Jim Packard (announcer): Yes Michael?

Michael: How does someone, uh, join Linda?

Jim: Grab the telephone away from anybody around you, dial 1-800-942-5669 and then answer this qualifying question...

Michael: You know it doesn't even matter, the lines are filled up with people who have already called in.

Jim: They must know the answer to the question.

Michael: I guess so. Good point Jim...let's ask Aaron here, from Boston...Aaron, what's the question?

Me: You want to know what the question is?

Michael: What is the question Aaron?

Me: You want me to ask any question I want?

Michael: No, I want to know what the question is for the quiz that you want to qualify for.

Me: Um...can I play the quiz?

Michael: That's not the question. All right, I'll give you a question there Aaron, cause you're not gonna come up with it. Researchers at Fermilab, in Batavia, down here in Illinois, are up to their ears in a, uh, in a, uh, nuclear particle that they didn't expect to find. What subatomic particle is it, that they have just too many of, at Fermilab?

Me: Is it protons?

Michael: I'm sorry?

Me: Protons?

Michael: No, not protons. I'm sorry Aaron.

Me: Well thank you.

Michael: Thank you.

That was it. That's the only time I've ever been on a game show, and after that, they hung up on me. The correct answer, which the next caller got after many, many hints from Michael: muons. Yeah. If you want to hear this, the official site of Whad'ya Know? is http://www.notmuch.com/. I'm on about twelve minutes into the fourth half-hour (Part D) of the February 14, 2009 show.

At least I didn't miss much - Linda eventually won a "grand prize package" consisting of a copy of Michael's book, a bottle of wine, a half-dozen 2009 calendars, and a copy of the Whad'ya Know? home game from Out Of The Box Publishing.

One more thing: despite Michael's statement that Fermilab is located "down here in Illinois," Whad'ya Know? is taped in Madison, Wisconsin.